I Will Wait
by MrsDarcy14
Summary: A short drabble about Kaidan cleaning up emotionally and physically after the Battle of the Citadel. Dealing with so many things, the whereabouts of his Shepard are starting to drag him down. Shenko. Takes place after ME 3. Thanks!


**Just a quick drabble I typed out fo rmy friend and wanted to share! I wrote this with I Will Wait by Mumford and Sons in mind, so knowing the song helps. Thanks!**

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It had been nearly three weeks since the Battle of Citadel, and Kaidan had not fully rested or recovered for one moment. Every day more reports of survivors were flooding in and Kaidan spent hours pouring over the names to check for that one. But the rest of his days never empty; of this he made certain. Some crew members who spotted him in the rubble either knew he was out helping people caught in the catastrophe or searching for a sign, anything, of one person in particular. His entire being was consumed, attacked with the need to find Shepard.

His Shepard.

He remembered the first time they had admitted to their feelings for each other, and the thought of never seeing her again shook his core with a fear so great it spanned galaxies. Through all of their adventures-the successes and failures, loves and losses-they had found each other. Many lonely nights had taken a brighter turn in her company, and in her he always had someone to confide in. Of course, she was the savior of the galaxy, the Hero of the Citadel-or so they called her. But to Kaidan, she was something much simpler. Not less important, but could the feelings of one man couldn't be compared to the safety of an entire universe? It was a biased question, because Kaidan had never hidden how he felt about Shepard.

After a few moments lost in thought, Kaidan shook his head and returned to the task at hand. So many people were relying on the volunteers to bring home new of their loved ones. The worst was reporting the dead, and the grief that came with it-but at least it brought closure. Finality to the dark, hovering, cloud that had loomed over helpless lives for weeks.

Shepard had awakened Kaidan. He had been happy before he met her, at times, but nothing had ever measured to what he had felt over the past three years. Love, loss, betrayal, guilt, fear, and hope. So much hope, inspired by her. She had a way of talking that pulled him in. Like she was the sun, and he a lonely planet caught in its orbit. Now, he knew that whatever direction she was headed in was his as well. A perfect plan that was formed from symmetry. Her eyes always sparkled when she talked about the future-a place with no hate towards other species, nothing born of ignorance or fear. A place that was worth fighting for. She had always said, "If we can work towards that goal, then I would die to defend that ideal." At this point Kaidan would grab her hands and quiet her with a look that she understood all too well. Speaking of either of their deaths awakened too many fears.

But now Kaidan was living with the reality of it.

Every morning, he would wake up but try to keep his eyes closed. That way, he could try and chase the tail end of whatever dream he had about Shepard for just a little bit longer. Little things started to add up when he was by himself; he was a wreck. Dark, black circles had formed under his eyes and his face had grown sullen with worry. He worried constantly. About his team. About if he would make it through if she died. But mostly about Shepard. His world would collapse without her. He couldn't imagine coming home day after day to a cold, empty house. The thought of a house alone versus a home with her, and the family they had talked potentially about, scared him more than anything. Darkness would tempt him on that path, and he knew going there would lead him away from all that he had worked for in the past few years. Shepard had, in a way, been his savior.

Something in his stomach told him she was not dead, though. Kaidan liked to think that their connection went beyond just the physical: that, if she died, he would somehow know. Connections like that were far and few in history, were never quite cherished enough. For a love that spans galaxies can only be described as one for the stories.

A shout from behind Kaidan caught his attention-someone was calling his name. His stomach dropped as he turned to meet the voice, trying to prepare himself for the crushing reality of what he was about to face. But the man who had called ahead was not wearing a mask of pity or grief. Instead, it was…hopeful.

Kaidan dropped everything he was doing and ran to the man. "Where?" he shouted. "Where is she?" The young man pointed off to the right and Kaidan took off. No explanation was needed.

A small crowd had gathered around the make-shift hospital tent to keep the actual emergency bay for those in immediate need of attention. A few small white tents had been strung together to form a safe haven, with the doors opened to allow a small breeze through the place. Doctors and nurses weaved through the rows and rows of beds that filled most of the floor space, and they were constantly asking questions and yelling to each other across the tents. To say the least, it was a extremely demanding and audible place to be.

Kaidan's heart was pounding. This is it…he thought, This is when I find out. When I know if I can live on or not.

But as soon as his eyes fell upon the scene before him, a smile broke across his face, showing the laugh lines around his eyes that had been forgotten in the past few weeks. There, sitting on a table, was Shepard, his Shepard, complaining that her injuries could be overlooked and yelling for doctors to treat others first. His heart had stopped for a moment, and suddenly picked back up in overtime. His hands were sweaty, and the thought of how he looked even crossed his mind for a fleeting moment. Color sprang into his view with a blinding clarity. Everything felt happy around him and he felt life ebbing its way slowly back into his veins. It was a slow process that started with his hands, for that had been the first place Shepard had touched him, when they shook hands as they met for the first time. Then, his chest, because she had fallen backwards to avoid a grenade and caught herself on his chest plate, leaping instantly back into battle. And finally, his cheek, where she always rested her hand before she kissed him with a love so bright it burned his skin to think of it. For three weeks, Kaidan had lost his will to live. Now, he would be fighting for a chance to prove that living was all he had in mind. All because of this wonderful woman before him.

"I told you! The reserves I found –ouch- had plenty of medi-gel in them to last me a few weeks. Well of course I'm going to say that hurts when you stick that thing in my cuts. Stop! I don't need any more attention, I need to find…" her voice trailed off as she finally looked up. Her brown eyes locked onto Kaidan's and refused to let go. Without looking down, she jumped off the table, ignoring the protests of her doctors, and limped forward, breaking into a run.

"Kaidan…." was all she got out before he swept her up and gently laid his lips onto hers. For three weeks, nightmares had shaken him awake with the echoing thought of losing Shepard. For three weeks, he had been dreaming of this day, this moment, when he could tell her that he would have overturned every rock and explored every fissure just to find her again. And all she had to do was look up at him and smile, and he knew that she understood everything. That he never would have truly given up trying to find her. That her Kaidan would have looked all the way until the stars had turned cold.

"You waited for me…never gave up." She managed to speak around her tears. He nodded, grabbing her hands in front of him and holding on tight. "Never. I couldn't have left even if I tried." He spoke softly.

Finally she smiled up at him, and said, "I can't begin to tell you how grateful for you I am, Kaidan."

He chuckled lightly. "Grateful? Nah, that should be me saying that. How many times have I come to you for something? Shepard, you have an entire galaxy that is grateful to you right now. Words cannot express how I feel to have you safe in my arms again."

"I'm so glad you found me," she whispered.

"Well," he spoke while absorbing the feel of Shepard being near to him again, "A story like ours deserves a happy ending."

And from that moment on, Shepard kept the most important person in her life by her side for the rest of her life.

Always.

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**Review and thank you!**


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